Dorodjatun named ambassador to U.S.

Dorodjatun named ambassador to U.S.

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said
yesterday that Washington has approved economist Dorodjatun
Kuntjoro-Jakti as the next Indonesian ambassador to the United
States.

Alatas, who is currently in New York to take over the
leadership of the Group of 77, was quoted by Antara as saying
that it is now a matter of waiting for his official installment
by President Soeharto.

But Alatas said that the official installment may take
sometime given the president's tight schedule. Alatas added that
it is also rare for just one ambassador to be installed during a
ceremony.

Dorodjatun, 58, replaces Arifin Siregar who has served as
ambassador in Washington since 1993. Arifin ended his term in
December.

While waiting for Dorodjatun to be officially installed,
diplomat Nazaruddin Nasution is the ad interim head of the
embassy in Washington.

Dorodjatun is no stranger to the United States. He earned his
doctorate in economics from the University of California in
Berkeley in 1980.

Known for his sharp thoughts on the economy, Dorodjatun's
articles have been published extensively in various newspapers.

Born in Rangkasbitung, West Java, Dorodjatun currently holds
the post as dean of the school of economics at the University of
Indonesia.

When contacted here last night, Dorodjatun was not available
for comment. (09)